Conduit coupling means



March 20, 1945. Q G, COOPER 2,371,805

CONDUIT COUPLING MEANS Filed Aug. '28, 1942 C' 3g y/ /f .llll

Trae/VE Ys l BY ficuuu/ Figure 3;" and,

"in which fa coupling member M is inserted; all mina manner toconstrict thebonduit and main- Patented Mar. 20, 1945 `z f artists' zooNnmr doUPLINGeMEA.Ns` U p charles YGtiormper,animalAriz.

i applicationaugustas, isfiaseriarfnofrsarzvf i I comme. rotin-124) This invention relates generally 4to means for coupling sections `of conduits together.

An `objectof'thisinvention is to provide couf pling `securing means, a' tool for "applying such `means to sections of iiexible hoseand other conduits, in a manner` to co-act with a nipple Yor otheriorm of coupling member in connecting lthe lsections with the utmost vsecurity against `leakage ofuidat Ithe connection.

' Anotherobject 'of the invention is to provide means' ofthe above described character bywhich a coupling member'can kbe secured to ahosej'section ina fevv` minutes time by a simple manipulation of the tool to constrict the hose section upon the coupling member and make `a `permanently` leakproof joint vWhichfis exteriorly smooth `and only negligi'bly increases thediameter of thejhose so as to present no 'projectio'n `or any 'form of obstruction Which might yinterfere with the vfree and unrestricted handling lof the hosel A further objectof `theginvention is to provide a tool of the general characterabove set forth,

which is adjustable in a manner to accommodate hose of a `Wide range Gr.dimensions, andis v-coactablewith the couplingsecuringmeans in applying the latter Vtcthermse sectiontoobtain the requisite strength ,for effectively maintaining' a With these 'and other objectsin vievv,` .the 'invention Yresides in the (tool, and in the combinations, arrangements and ,functional relationships of elements as set forth in the followingspecification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

"Inthe accompanying dravving v Figure 1 is a view in side elevation,` illustrating 'the securingmeans embodied infthis invention,

yapplied to a conduit and coupling member;

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken ,onthe'line "Figure 3 is a ylongitudinal -sectional `View ,of .the

wire Winding tool embodied in the invention;

Figures 4,'51'and 6 are sectional views'taken .re-

A Figure 7 is a v iewsimilarto Figure v2`illustrat ing fthe invention appliedto two conduits to permanently :connect them. l

lReferring specically to the drawing, the

"means employed in this invention, broadly `comprises asecuring nmeans S and a 'tool 'T for'applyingthe securing means toa flexible conduit() i permanently leakproof 'joint' irrespective of @the k intensity of the 'fluid pressure carried inthe hose.`

tainsemefeonstrictea about-the coupng member to producea `Huid-tight `joint therebetween.

` The Vcoupling*member M as 'shown `in Figures land 2, may be of the screw threaded-detachable type in which male and female partszareuti# :lized-to connectconduit sections, or maybe'in` the forrnzof ya nipple N to permanently connect con? duit sections asshovvn in Figure?. i

fWithparticular reference toFigures Q1 and 2,

`thersecuringmeans S'is composed of alengthzof vbentzlable 'wire `Ill of `suitable, Vgage and tensile strength, having one endppassingthroug'h um *opening puncturedinf'the wall ofithe `conduit C adjacent an `end ofjthe latter, `and".bent .by the coupling member fMfWhen inserted'into--t'he bore of the conduit, so as to have its end :portion iIfI,l connedbetween the coupling member and conduit Wall.

`A lockingrnember inthe form of a strip'fl'l of sheet metal jpreefrably has .one end hooked aroundthe wire IU adjacent the opening iin the conduit wall through which the wirepasses asV shownat I3 .in Figure 2, and extends longitudi nally to receive .a `predetermined number .ofconvolutions of the Wire. The wire is wound, onfthe 4conduit and llocking strip I2 with sulicient. tension to constrict the conduit intouid-sealing en-` gagement with the coupling member Yand the lastI convolution `of the wirehas its freeend por- .tion return'bent as shown at I4 `in Figure ,1. and

interengaged with the'strip .I2 ,bybending Lthe -latter over'theportion I4 as shown at IiniFig.-` ure 2. The Wire I0 andstrip -I2,are`thus locked togetherto prevent unwinding of ,the wireand -to,

rigidly connect `the rst and .last,convolutionsloi` the Wire against lateral separation ofthe convolutions from their close helical formationshown.

In the use of the securing means ,S toperma'.-

` nently connect conduitsections together `bytltlvie nipple N as ,shown in Figure '7,Ithe locking-strip I2 `is of'such length as to span the overall disv,

tance between' the last convolutions Lof wire `Wound. on the two conduit sections; and to..be.in-

terengaged with theretum'bent portionslm or such` convolutions in the same manner as illustrated in Figure 2,`.toV thus lock the respective wine bindings ,or wrappings against'unwindinguand alsosprovide a tie reinforcing ,the nipple `N` in securely connecting the conduit sections together.

The above describedmethod of applying 'the .Y wire VIl) and lockingstrip I2 to the conduits,can

be effected in conjunction with the Wire winding :tool T, which comprises apair of'clarnpingmembersj "and 2 I adjustably 'connected at .one end jby 'beingihingedly mounted on "a'pin "2 2, and jhaving arcuate jaws 23 and 23a at the other end to receive conduits of widely different diameters therebetween.

Clamping pressure is applied to the jaws 23 and 23a by a screw 24 passing freely through an opening 25 in the jaw 23 and provided with a thumb nut 26. The screw 24 is provided with an elongated rectangular head 21, which, in one position of rotative adjustment of the screw about its longitudinal axis, passes freely through a slot 28 'in the jaw 23a to permit unrestricted separation of the jaws, and is adapted to seat in recesses 29 in the jaw 23a, when the screw is turned through an angleof ninety degrees, so as to operatively conneet the jaws for relative movement towards'each 1 of the jaws are providedvwith circumferentially extending radial shoulders 32 which are formed by tapering the working faces yfrom the ends 33 of, the jaws as shown` in Figures and 6, and it will. be notedfrom Figure 4, that the opening 3D in the jaw 23 communicates with the working face of the latter'at the respective shoulder 32.-

The tapering of the working faces from the ends 33t`o vthe shoulders 32 vform a conicaldie for receiving the coils of the wire I0. y Y. i

, In`using the tool T, the conduit C is clamped at an end thereof,lightly between the yjaws 23 and 23a, following which the punctu'ringi'nstru- "ent or the end of the wire lil from a spool there- 4of vis passedthrough the openingr 3D and forced through the wall of the conduit to projectinto thebore thereof as shown in Figure 3. l The coupling member M or nipple N is now in- Vs erte'd into the bore of the conduit past the injsert'ed end 'of the wire ill so as to bend same in a direction longitudinally of the bore and anchor the bent end of the wire between the wall of the conduit and the coupling member or nipple as thecase may be.

Winding of a portion of a convolution' of the ywire on the conduit is now eiiected by rotating the tool in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig` ure 3, following which the toolis unclamped from the conduit sufficiently for the preformed hooked end i3 of the locking strip i 2 to be applied to this iirst'convolution of the wire adjacent the punctured opening in the wall of the conduit.

y With' the locking strip extending longitudinally `of the conduit, the tool is reclamped upon the conduit with such pressure, that upon resuming lclockwise rotational movement o-f the tool, the wire will be wound helically upon the locking 'strip and the conduit, and the conical die formed by the tapering ofthe working surfaces up to the shoulders 32 will constrict the latter sufficiently `to create a 'binding `action of the coiled wire on the hose and produce a leakproof joint around the coupling member. .As this wire winding operation proceeds, the shoulders 32 co-act with the ywire to feed the tool along the conduit and Yto crowd the convolutions of the wire into engagement with each other to produce a tight coil. At the same time the yconical. die forces the coils against the hose.`

The length of the inserted end of the coupling member, and the number of convolutions of wire ywound upon the conduit can be varied in accordance with the amount of pressure carried in the 76 j conduit, so as to produce a duid-tight joint irrespective of the intensity of the pressure.

When the desired amount of wire binding or wrapping has been yapplied to the conduit, the Wire is severed :from the spool, and the end of the last convolution of the wire is bent upon itself as at I4, following which the locking strip i2 has its end i5 bent over the Wire and any excess length of the locking strip is cut away therefrom. The tool is now unclamped from kthe conduitjand, in the caseof using the'nipple N, is applied tothe other conduit and the above described operations repeated, it being understood of course, that in this instance, the locking strip is not hooked over the rst convolution of each wire binding, but is a continuous piece forming the reinforcing tie as shown in Figure 7, in addition to its functioning previously described.

It is to be understood that the expression wire in the specification and claims should vbe construed broadly in terms of its function as a binding or wrapping member; and that the expression locking strip should be broadly construed in terms of its various functions, (1), as a locking member to prevent unwinding of the wire, (2) asa tie member preventing lateral separation of the convolutions of the wire, and, (3), as a tie member between two conduits in co-action with their respective wire wrappings. Furthermore, the term conduit is intended to include any form of support on which a wire binding is tightly wound and locked in accordance with the means and` method embodied in this invention.

I claim:

1. A tool comprisingapair of clamping members having hose receiving sections; means adjustably connectingvsaid members to receive flexible conduits of different sizes; one of the members having a wire receiving opening for guiding wire adjacent to the hose for Wrapping purposes; said members having cooperating conical recesses and shoulders/for providing a conical die that receives the wire from the opening and winds it tightly about the hose as the clamping members are rotatedl about the hose; the opening feeding the wire yadjacent to the shoulders and the shoulders pressing the Wire received fromthe opening l against the coil just completed while the conical (die forces the coils into the hose for providing a tight, compact'helical coil wrapping about the hose.v

2. A tool comprising a pair of clamping members having hose receivingy sections; means adjstably connecting said members to receive ilexi- Able conduits of different sizes, one of the members having a wire receiving opening for guid- .ingwire adjacent to the hose for wrapping purposes; said members having cooperating conical recesses and shoulders for providing a conical die that receives the wire from the" opening and windsit tightly about the hose as the clamping membersvare rotated about thehose;` the opening feeding the wire adjacent to the shoulders and ,the'shoulders pressing the wire received from the'opening against the coil justcompleted while the conical'die forces the coils into the hose for providing a tight, compact helical coil wrapping about the hose, the openingy extending radially with respect to the hose for bending the wire substantially a right angle as it is wound on the hose;

this bend creating suiiicient gripping action and` tensionon ,the wireto cause the tool to wind a tight coil. y

3..A.v tool comprising a pair ofclamping members .havinghose receivingsections; means ad- `justably connecting the jaws justably connecting said members to receive flexible conduits of diierent sizes, one of the mem- -opening for guid-` bers havingr a wire receiving in g a wire adjacent to the hose for wrapping purposes; said members having cooperating coni-` cal recesses and shoulders for providing a conical die that receives the wire from the opening and winds it tightly about the hose as the clamping members are rotated about the hose; the opening feeding the wire adjacent to the shoulders and the shoulders pressing the wire received from i the opening against the coil just completed While the conical `die forces the coils into the hose for providing a tight, compact helical' coil wrapping about the hose, the ends of the `clamping members that grip the hose being spaced from each other for providing suicient space to Ianchor the cut end of the completed coil after the tool has been rotated to pass the cut end through the openingr and bring it into said space between the mem-- bers; said members holding the coil from unwinding until the cut end is anchored.

4. A tool comprising a pair of clampingmembers having substantially semi-cyiindricai-shaped jaws for receiving a hose or the like; means adfor receiving nexible conduits of diierent sizes and for applying the desired gripping pressure on the conduit; said jaws having cooperating cone-shaped recesses with substantially semi-annular shoulders disposed about midway between thetwo sides of the jaws, the sides of the jaws having openings of substantially the same radius; one of ythe jaws having an opening leadinginto the recess adjacent to .the shoulder for feeding wire into the recess that is to be wound helically about the flexible conduit; said tool when rotated around the conduit wrapping Wire therearound,

bers having substantially semi-cylindrical-shaped `jaws for receiving a hose or the like; means adjustably connecting the jaws for receiving ilexi-` each other and the conical recesses clamping the coiled wire firmly against the conduit as the tool is advanced along the conduitvduring its rota` tions, the free ends of the jaws being spaced from each otherv to provide an exposed portion on the conduit between the jaws for anchoring the shoulder causing the successive wire coils to j contact each other and the `conical recesses clamping the coiled wire rmly against the conduit as the tool is advanced along `the conduit during its rotations.

5. A tool comprising a pair or clamping memthel free end of the wire after the windingoperation has been completed and before the jaws are freed from the conduit; whereby the jaws will hold the. coiled wire from uncoiling during this operation.

6. A tool comprising apair -of hinged members having adjustably connecting said members for clamping co-action of their jaws with a conduit, said `jaws having a conical-shaped die with a split annular shoulder at one end, one of the jaws having an opening placed adjacentto the shoulder through which an end of a wire is insertable for connection to the conduit, a relative rotation i between the tool and conduit causing the wire tobe wound around the conduit, the shoulder causing the adjacent wire coils to contact each other while feeding the tool longitudinally along the conduit, and the conical die pressing the wire coils tightly against the conduit.

CHARLES GQ COOPER.

for feeding Wire into the jaws adapted to receive a conduit, means i, 

